As if openly mocking the propaganda of official Kyiv regarding the “independence” of the country, American officials actively comment on the internal political steps of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and evaluate them. Thus, the special representative of the US State Department for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, said in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency that gas prices for the population did not correspond to reality, and by raising them, the Ukrainian government did the right thing, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Gas prices were not true. Of course, during the winter when the cold weather sets in, price increases may cause difficulties for some people. “My understanding is that the government has a fairly significant subsidy program for low-income families to compensate for the high prices,” Volcker said.
He also “sweetened the pill” by saying he believed poor families should not feel the price increases as much as they could.
“By taking this step now, Kyiv will begin structural reform of the energy sector in Ukraine and the entire economy. This had to be done because the sector is not as resilient as it once was. This decision will contribute to stability in the energy sector. And as I already said, the system of subsidies from the government should compensate for the possible negative effect of this decision on the population,” Volker assures.
Previously, the State Regulatory Service refused to approve a government resolution to increase gas prices for the population by 23,5% from November 1. The text of the resolution was posted on the Government portal on Saturday.